How would you like to escape your boss' eagle eye on your computer? Simple. Install a 'panic button' on your browser. And when you want to escape a meeting you do not want to attend at all? Even simpler. Install an app on your smartphone that lets you fake a call from anyone, including... wait for it... Barack Obama.
But these tips and tricks were just the tip of the iceberg at author and computer security consultant Ankit Fadia's launch of his 15th (phew!) book, Faster — 100 Ways To Improve Your Digital Life here on Wednesday. The book, which is Fadia's first book that moves away from programming, security and generally all things computer science-ish, lists over a 100 ways to help you use the technology you have at hand more efficiently.
"Loads of people use smartphones these days and Gen-Y is very internet and technology savvy. But sometimes we don't understand the full potential of these gadgets - some people don't use their smartphones for anything beyond making phone calls or messaging," said Fadia to an audience largely made up of adoring students who take his programming classes and fans. The book, he said, aims at helping people realise how to use their gadgets to their optimal level.
Indeed, the book does give us lots of handy little tricks and several useful tips to optimise gadget usage. The book is divided into four parts - Functionality, which lists out potential applications and short cuts to help one increase their productivity; Look and Feel, which helps one with viewing experiences.. "There's also a section that tells you how you can make Facebook do things that it's not supposed to do," Fadia cheerfully added as an aside.
Sections three and four deal with Security ("There's a lot more to your smartphone security than just password protection, you know") and Fun Stuff, where you get to learn how to fake emergency calls and avoid sticky situations with your boss.
But the fifteen book journey for Fadia isn't over yet. "I've signed a three book deal with Penguin - this is the first one. The second one will be fiction, with a programming-technology backdrop," said the author who also has a YouTube show to his credit, called Geek on the Loose. Started less than a month back, the show gives out handy shortcuts and quickie tech lessons to those in need of a little technological-pick-me-up.
Faster — 100 Ways to Improve Your Digital Life is published by Penguin Books